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Article CORRESPONDENCE. ← Page 10 of 10
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Correspondence.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —Having been pointedly alluded to in a letter signed "Justitia" in your last number , I feel that a reply is incumbent on me , if it be only to corroborate some of the statements of "A . Z ., " to whom I furnished information . I am most unwilling to obtrude on the Craft , but it is due to them as well as to myself that matters should not rest where they are .
' ¦ ' Justitia" states that I left the Royal Cumberland Lodge , Bath , because the S . W . Collar was not offered to me . This is incorrect , and the then W . M . Bro . Percy Wells must know it to be so . He put these questions to me : "Bid you expect the West ? " I replied that I did not . "What did you expect ? " I answered that I expected to be allowed to maintain my position , and not to be passed over . . * " Justitia " next states that I have since said I seceded because no member of
the Royal Cumberland Lodge could ever obtain the purple . This is entirely without foundation . To the best of my knowledge , I never made such a remark ; and I think the following fact will furnish a sufficient answer to the charge . At the last Prov . Grand Lodge at Highbridge , whilst I was an active member of the Royal Cumberland Lodge , the Prov . G . M . did me the honour to name me for a Prov . G . office ; but not being present , from reasons it is not necessary to explain , I of course could not receive it . I do not deny that a purple apron was an object of my ambition , and I humbly conceive a laudable and Masonic one .
I now proceed to corroborate some of the statements of "A . Z ., " who very justly complained of the appointments in question . I complain also . I think the principle of placing Brethren of eleven months' standing over those who have served much longer periods , and whose qualifications are at least equal , an incorrect one , except for good and Masonic reasons . The chief promoter of the objection ^ able camp was Bro . Percy Wells , the W . M . of the Royal Cumberland Lodge ; and it being well known that Bro . Bagshawe rendered him such assistance in its formation as it is probable no one else could have done , it was the opinion of many others as well as "A . Z . " that his sudden promotion in the Lodge was the
consequence . With regard to Bro . Percy Wells ' s refusal of the Collar of Prov . C 4 rand Reg ., "Justitia " indignantly asks what right "A Z . " has to attribute his refusal to so unworthy a motive . I gave this fact to " A . Z , " upon the authority of Bro . Percy Wells himself , who told me that anything below the Prov . G . S . W , was beneath the dignity of his position as W . M . of his Lodge . The next point on which I furnished information to "A . Z ., " and which " Justitia" is instructed to deny , was the odium which Bro . Percy Wells , when W . M . of his Lodge , showered so plentifully on the Prov . G . M . I did not allude to any particular case . I meant the unjust and sarcastic remarks—not once or twice , but frequently , in Lodge and out of Lodge , in public and private—which I have heard Bro . Wells make on the Masonic conduct of our venerable Prov . G . M ., whose only fault appears to have been that he failed to discover the great
merit which that Brother supposes himself to possess . I do not make an unsupported assertion . I assure you that whilst I was a member of his Lodge I had frequent conversations with the present S . W . Bro . Bagshawe and the Secretary Bro . Haseler on the subject , in which they lamented equally with myself that Bro . Wells should pursue such an objectionable course . 1 am quite sure they will corroborate me in this .
Having shown as briefly as possible that the remarks of "Justitia" are far from true , the Craft shall now hmVe how fur he is entitled to credit ; and I hope that cue next time he . appears in your pages he will have the moral courage to give his name . —I am , dear Sir , your faithful Brother , Chan . W . Oliven , Ba'imi , June 10 , 185 ( 5 . J . W . 01 and J . W . 420 . [ Any reply to the above must be accompanied by real name and address , to be published ; but we think the correspondence had better end here . - - Mi ) . F . M . cC : M . \
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —Having been pointedly alluded to in a letter signed "Justitia" in your last number , I feel that a reply is incumbent on me , if it be only to corroborate some of the statements of "A . Z ., " to whom I furnished information . I am most unwilling to obtrude on the Craft , but it is due to them as well as to myself that matters should not rest where they are .
' ¦ ' Justitia" states that I left the Royal Cumberland Lodge , Bath , because the S . W . Collar was not offered to me . This is incorrect , and the then W . M . Bro . Percy Wells must know it to be so . He put these questions to me : "Bid you expect the West ? " I replied that I did not . "What did you expect ? " I answered that I expected to be allowed to maintain my position , and not to be passed over . . * " Justitia " next states that I have since said I seceded because no member of
the Royal Cumberland Lodge could ever obtain the purple . This is entirely without foundation . To the best of my knowledge , I never made such a remark ; and I think the following fact will furnish a sufficient answer to the charge . At the last Prov . Grand Lodge at Highbridge , whilst I was an active member of the Royal Cumberland Lodge , the Prov . G . M . did me the honour to name me for a Prov . G . office ; but not being present , from reasons it is not necessary to explain , I of course could not receive it . I do not deny that a purple apron was an object of my ambition , and I humbly conceive a laudable and Masonic one .
I now proceed to corroborate some of the statements of "A . Z ., " who very justly complained of the appointments in question . I complain also . I think the principle of placing Brethren of eleven months' standing over those who have served much longer periods , and whose qualifications are at least equal , an incorrect one , except for good and Masonic reasons . The chief promoter of the objection ^ able camp was Bro . Percy Wells , the W . M . of the Royal Cumberland Lodge ; and it being well known that Bro . Bagshawe rendered him such assistance in its formation as it is probable no one else could have done , it was the opinion of many others as well as "A . Z . " that his sudden promotion in the Lodge was the
consequence . With regard to Bro . Percy Wells ' s refusal of the Collar of Prov . C 4 rand Reg ., "Justitia " indignantly asks what right "A Z . " has to attribute his refusal to so unworthy a motive . I gave this fact to " A . Z , " upon the authority of Bro . Percy Wells himself , who told me that anything below the Prov . G . S . W , was beneath the dignity of his position as W . M . of his Lodge . The next point on which I furnished information to "A . Z ., " and which " Justitia" is instructed to deny , was the odium which Bro . Percy Wells , when W . M . of his Lodge , showered so plentifully on the Prov . G . M . I did not allude to any particular case . I meant the unjust and sarcastic remarks—not once or twice , but frequently , in Lodge and out of Lodge , in public and private—which I have heard Bro . Wells make on the Masonic conduct of our venerable Prov . G . M ., whose only fault appears to have been that he failed to discover the great
merit which that Brother supposes himself to possess . I do not make an unsupported assertion . I assure you that whilst I was a member of his Lodge I had frequent conversations with the present S . W . Bro . Bagshawe and the Secretary Bro . Haseler on the subject , in which they lamented equally with myself that Bro . Wells should pursue such an objectionable course . 1 am quite sure they will corroborate me in this .
Having shown as briefly as possible that the remarks of "Justitia" are far from true , the Craft shall now hmVe how fur he is entitled to credit ; and I hope that cue next time he . appears in your pages he will have the moral courage to give his name . —I am , dear Sir , your faithful Brother , Chan . W . Oliven , Ba'imi , June 10 , 185 ( 5 . J . W . 01 and J . W . 420 . [ Any reply to the above must be accompanied by real name and address , to be published ; but we think the correspondence had better end here . - - Mi ) . F . M . cC : M . \